For today, links to 16 reports: from the Cradle, NBC, the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, National Public Radio, the Moscow Times, and Reuters; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 7-2-25 is HERE, or scroll down. GAZA, LEBANON and SYRIA entries for today are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM
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NEWER Pentagon cut Ukraine arms shipments despite ‘no shortage’ of stock: report. From the Cradle. An analysis by senior U.S. military officers found that a previously planned shipment of missiles and munitions bound for Ukraine would not jeopardize the U.S. military’s own ammunition supplies, NBC News reported today. The Pentagon halted the shipment earlier this week, citing concerns about its low stockpiles. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from NBC.
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NEWER Trump, Zelenskiy discuss weapons, escalating Russian strikes, by Doina Chiacu, Tim Gardner and Max Hunder| Reuters KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he discussed air defences in a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump today, and agreed to work on increasing Kyiv’s capability to “defend the sky” as Russian attacks escalate. He added . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russia hammers Kyiv in largest missile and drone barrage since war in Ukraine began, by Hanna Arhirova | AP KYIV — Waves of drone and missile attacks targeted Kyiv overnight into today, officials said — injuring at least 23 people and inflicting severe damage across multiple districts of the capital in a seven-hour onslaught. READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from the Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, NPR and the Cradle.
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Military analyst Michael Kofman discusses Russia’s recent gains in Ukraine. Michel Martin of NPR talks with military analyst Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about Russia’s gains in Ukraine and what they reveal about the war’s direction. Click HERE to listen and, later read.
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FROM JULY 3 Elderly woman killed in Ukrainian drone strike on Lipetsk region. The Moscow Times. A 70-year-old woman was killed and two others were wounded in a Ukrainian drone strike in the central Lipetsk region early Thursday, with authorities in Kyiv saying they targeted a Russian military battery manufacturing plant. READ MORE . . .
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FROM JULY 3 No progress at all, Trump says after phone call with Putin, by Gram Slattery, Dan Peleschuk and Dmitry Antonov | Reuters WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a phone call earlier in the day with Vladimir Putin resulted in no progress at all on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, while a Kremlin aide said the Russian president reiterated that Moscow would keep pushing to solve the conflict’s “root causes.” READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from Kyiv Post and Tass.
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FROM JULY 3 Pentagon says it’s pausing some military aid to Ukraine amid new attacks from Russia. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR The Pentagon is halting the delivery of some U.S. weapons to Ukraine that are crucial in its battle against Russia. This comes at a time when Russia has stepped up its attacks against Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
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FROM JULY 3 Ukraine’s European backers mull their options after the U.S. pauses weapons shipments, by Lorne Cook | AP AARHUS, Denmark — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and some of Ukraine’s main European backers weighed options on Thursday for filling the gap after the Trump administration paused weapons shipments to his country. The U.S. move affects high-demand READ MORE . . .
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FROM JULY 3 How Ukraine can cope with the U.S. pause on crucial battlefield weapons, by Hanna Arhirova and Barry Hatton | AP KYIV — The decision by the United States to pause some weapons shipments to Ukrainehas come at a tough time for Kyiv. Here’s a look at Ukraine’s options. READ MORE . . .
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